Garage Gym Startup

Recently I have felt like I'm getting too comfortable when it comes to business. Complacency, in my opinion, is a disease. We must be self aware and get out of the feeling of complacency and make moves. I also talk about creating ideas in this episode. Ideas should be something we have everyday. We don't have to act on all of them, but constantly be thinking of what is next and how you can be ahead of the curve. Being a gym owner isn't easy, but I wouldn't change it for the world! Don't forget to check out the VLOG. Search "Of The Lion Fitness" on YouTube to see the episodes.

Today's episode starts by me talking about a phone call that sparked this episode. Marketing companies who tell you what you aren't doing right yet they have no idea how to run a business. This leads me into who you should take advice from both in business and life! Don't forget to check out our garage gym business VLOG. Search OF The Lion Fitness on YouTube and look for the series titled, The Next 5 Years.

One thing we have really focused on recently is the question, "At the minimum, what do we need to effectively run our gym". This question has given us great focus in understanding how to be creative with our program design, allowing us to minimize equipment and setting ourselves up to scale more efficiently.      In the book E-Myth they talk about setting up your business to sell it (not something we plan on doing anytime soon). However, the idea they are trying to convey is: At the minimum, what does your business need to effectively run and are your procedures in place. Two very important things I recommend you looking into.    Don't forget to check out our VLOG on youtube. Just Search Of The Lion Fitness on YouTube and look for the series called, "The Next 5 Years". 

In this episode of Garage Gym Startup I talk about a really low point for me personally, what caused it, how we got out of it (my wife/business partner is awesome) and what is a MUST for your garage gym. Hint: It is a vision :)

You can't miss this interview! I had the incredible opportunity to sit and talk with Jason Khalipa, Father, business owner, CrossFit Games winner and overall amazing person about owning, running and building a gym. We talked about family, balance, growth, and what it takes to build the dream gym. This is one you cannot miss whether you own a gym or any business.

In Episode 20, I talk on 3 main topics: 1) Starting small (it's still possible) 2) Get your business finances in order 3) Stop looking for reassurance At the end of the podcast I give 3 tips (things we've actually done) that helped us increase members/revenue. I also suggest a podcast you should download ASAP! Don't forget to visit us on instagram: @garagegymstartup

Since starting OTL Fitness, I've gone through ups and downs both physically and mentally. In this episode I talk about being down, but what helps me get back in the zone. This episode is special to me because it's important as business owners that we remain honest with our true emotions. I hope you all appreciate me opening up about how I feel!

The best way to learn is through experiences. In this episode, Coach Travis Goyeneche and I talk on our experiences as coaches at OTL Fitness with a variety of athletes and how each of these athletes have made us better coaches. From adaptive athletes, to athletes who want to do it their way, we've had and have the privilege to work with all backgrounds and we hope you can learn from our experiences too. Instagram: @garagegymstartup Facebook: Facebook.com/garagegymstartup  

If you are in the business of owning a gym (or any business) long enough, you are going to have those people who call you with no real intentions of purchasing your service. Here's my story on a call I got just the other day and how I suggest handling it.  Also, I talk about how you should coach a class when only 1 person shows up. Hint: Like you would coach any other class! Follow me on instagram: @garagegymstartup

Jae Kim has become a very good friend of mine. He is hard working, makes no excuses, and is an incredible entrepreneur. He started with a food truck and is now building a food empire here in Austin. You can also see Jae on SharkTank! He may be in the restaurant business, but in this podcast we talk about building a foundation in your business and go in depth on the mindset of an entrepreneur.  follow us on instagram: @garagegymstartup 

In this episode I talk about why and how we use media. It is never our intention to release a video and get new members right away. Our intention is strictly building brand! I hope you enjoy this one. Don't forget to check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/garagegymstartup  

Aja and Aryan are brothers who own Behemoth CrossFit. These two guys are truly awesome people and amazing athletes. However, it's their love for people and movement that have helped them grow their awesome gym, Behemoth CrossFit. In this interview we cover entrepreneurship in the fitness industry, working with family, hiring coaches, and the future of their business. I hope you can relate and learn a few things from this episode. It is a little bit longer, but totally worth it!

What email system do you use? How do you capture emails? How quickly do you respond to emails? Do you use STREAK as a google chrome plugin? If you answered no to any of these, you have to check out this episode. Emails, how we respond and what we do with them is more important than we realize when it comes to growing your business. Learn it, get it right and perfect it! instagram: OTL on Insta Facebook: OTL on Facebook

There are hundreds of ways to build a long lasting customer, but are you putting communication at the forefront of that list? The way we communicate with our members can be a reason people stay for years, or leave within months.  Do you think about communicating with each person differently? What is your EQ?  As a bonus, we talk about scaling, how to communicate scaling and pre-requisite classes.

It's important we constantly get new faces into our gym doors. Not all will become members, but the more people we can get to experience our product, the better our chances. In today's episode I talk about 3 events we use to get new and potential clients in the door and what we do next. The bonus topic is about the things you will have to sacrifice now in order to have a great gym in the future! A review means a lot to us, so if you can spare a minute to give us one on iTunes, that would be awesome. Follow us on instagram: @otlfitness

Do you have a flow to your classes? Do you know how to create energy in the beginning of your class, maintain it and close it out with energy as well? One more question, how do you introduce new members on their first day? How you control the flow of your class and how you introduce new members is very important and can create a consistency that your clients come to love and enjoy. In this podcast I talk about how we "flow" through a class, create and maintain energy and close out classes with a bang! Follow us on Instagram! Follow us on Facebook!

Pricing is important from the very beginning. Too often trainers/gym owners under value themselves. But how do we even know what we're worth? The other big mistake is the business model of under cutting other gyms in the area thinking that will bring you the business.  Let's talk pricing, things to think about when setting prices, discounts, contracts, and much more! instagram: @garagegymstartup facebook: facebook.com/garagegymstartup

We hear about "community" all the time. In this episode I am going to cover 3 main topics about community.   1) What it actually means (at least to us at OTL Fitness) 2) Why is it important? It is a means to building your business and creating longevity. 3) How you actually do it. Remember, it starts from the top! Check us out at: Facebook.com/garagegymstartup instagram: @garagegymstartup www.garagegymstartup.com

In this episode I had the honor of interviewing someone I have looked up to for many years in both the fitness and business industry, Carl Paoli. For those who may not know who he is, Carl is the creator of GymnasticsWod which is now the FreeStyle Connection a Seminar series which tours world wide. He is an investor with Str/keMvmt, he was coach to Annie Thorsdottir the 2 years she won the CrossFit Games, Author of Free+Style and he continues to add value to the fitness world with many years of gymnastics experience as a former National Competitor. All in all, Carl is an amazing person and it would be a disservice to yourself if you did not listen to this episode in its entirety.  Carl is here to add value and that he did. Here it is, Episode 7! www.garagegymstartup.com instagram: @garagegymstartup

Facebook can be a great go to place to get your gym noticed. But before you start shooting that video or creating that piece of content, you should consider a few things first.  Your FB ad isn't about "Get a discount" or "Free Week". It should be about building a brand. FB is a place we go to be educated or entertained, not sold to. In this episode I talk about how we do it after a lot of failure. But as always, if you think this is about getting 100 new clients in 1 month with FB ads, this isn't for you. This is about creating content to education, add value and create a brand. #LongTermThinking